Flash pistol



W. VOG EL FLASH PI STOL I May 4 1926.

Filed August 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 4 1926.

v 1,583,206 W. VOGEL FLASH PISTOL Filed August 25. 1925 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 5 I 5 I ATroRNEY Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM VOGEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLASH risron Application filed August 25, 1925.

To all whom 2'25 may concern;

Be it known that I, -WILLIAM: VOGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, inthe county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flash Pistols, of which the following is a speeifica t-ion.

This invention relates to flash light or analogous mechanisms, and has particular reference to devices used by commercial photographers and usually known as flash pistols.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus of the characterindicated that will be simple to construct, easy and safe to operate, and durablein use; to insure absolute reliability in firing the charge of flash powder and illumination of the scene to be pictured; to provide for proper adjustment of the camera actuator and hence suitable timing of the shutter mechanism with respect to the ignition of the powder; and to provide a safe and convenient receptacle or magazine for the'percussion caps or primers.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and inwhich Figural is a side elevation showing a. preferred embodiment of'my invention in normal idle or fired position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view in cocked position, ready to fire.

Fig. 3 shows the hammer approaching the firing position and about to release the shutter mechanism carrier.

Fig. 4: shows the next step with the carrier released and the shutter actuator about to impinge against the adjustable abutment.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary VlQW of the handle with the magazine cover partially open.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I show at 10 a rigid frame made preferably as a flat plate or bar of metal and of uniform width. This frame has secured Serial No. 52,293.

to its laterally turnedupper end 11 an open topped flash pan 12 having a flash hole 13 ii'ormed' through its bottom. At the lower end the frame is provided with a cavity 14, which together with the relatively fixed and movable handle pieces 15 and 16, respectively, forms a receptacle or magazine for the percussion caps or primers C. The cover piece 16 is held shut normally by the tightening of a thumb nut 17 against the slotted end thereof.

The primer tobe fired is held against the bottom of the pan 12 and spanning the hole 13, the means shown for this purpose being a flap 18 hinged at 19 and urged normally against the pan bottom by a spring 20; The primer is easily placed as a result of the lifting of the flap away from the pan and against the force of the spring.

The hammer 21 is made as a unitary part of a shank member or plunger 22 slidable along one side of the plate 10 and length wise thereof, being urged normally upward by virtue of the contractile main spring 28, anchored at one end on a lug 24: and at the other end upon a hook 25 attached to the pan, and adapted to be drawn downward into cocked position and against the force of the spring 23 by manipulation at the finger piece 26. T his member is guided and confined for movements in parallelism with the frame by means of guides 27 extending through slots 28 in the plunger. The striking end or portion of the hammer registers with the hole 13 in firing position and hence while exploding the primer causes a. flash therefrom to pass through the hole and ignite' the powder in the pan for its usual purpose.

The plunger has formed upon its inner och-2eremote from the finger piece 26 a cam or lug 29 bounded atits lower larger end by a shoulder 31, and spaced below it is a shoulder 32 facing upward toward the shoulder 31.

The carrier 33 aforesaid is shown as a substantially flat plate formation, havin a slot 3 extending lengthwise thereof Ior' confining it for posltion and movements along the frame parallel to the plunger, it being so confined by fixed guides 85 extending through the slot. At the upper end the carrier is provided with a laterally turned fork or yoke 36 which carries or to which is clamped the tubular actuator 37 for the camera shutter (see Fig. 4) and Within which is the push rod or wire 38 projecting upward. A contractile spring 39 is anchored at one end at a hook it) and at the other end to the carrier at 41, and this spring tends to draw the carrier upward toward On the side or edge adjacent to the plunger the carrier is provided with an uphoes-shaped lug lying in the path or and normally in co tact with the shoulder 31, whereby when the plunger is drawn manually downward for cooking the hammer the carrier follows it, both springs a-d being put simul taneously under tension. See F 2.

Pivoted to the frame it at is and be-. tween the carrier and plunger is a dog lli, so placed as to engage erer lie in the p h of a shoulder 47 on th carrier when t device is cocked. A spring 48 beari against the tail piece e9 tends to hold u dog in cooperation with s shoulder A trigger is provided in the nature of a bell crank lever 50, pivoted at 51 conven iently near the handle and whose upper end 52 is adapted to heel; over the shoulder to hold releasably the plunger in set or cocked position, by virtue of ac ntractile spring 53 having its ends anchored at a fixed vardly proj ectine' point 5% on the frame and a ug 5' on the trigger. V 1th primed, from the posi the trigger is released fro 32 the hammer, being set 3, speeds upward toward carrier being momentarily re" retarded by co-"p ation between the 46 and the shoulder 47, but just before iammer reaches tiring position the cam 29 strikes or wipes against the tail piece if) and releases the dog from the carrier shoulder 47 and so sets the carrier tree L0 be carried upward by virtue of the spring 39, see Fig. i, causing the functioning oi the can'iera actuator, in co-operation with the abutm it 42, soon after the ign' Y t the charge. The lower the adjustment or the abutment the sooner will the shutter be actuated in relation to the firin of the powder. Hence the actuating mechanism comprises two main sliding members movable together in one direction as a unit and in succession or separately in the other direction. Furthermore, while the hammer may be described as having a fixed time of operation as regards its release from the trigger, the carrier is retarded somewhat in its throw, and by adjustment or the abutment (which after adjustment may be thought or as relatively fixed member) the time of actuation of the shutter mechanism will be variable and determined so as to take place at a suitable time after both the hammer and carrier are projected. The actuator tube '37 may of course be adjusted relatively to the yoke 36 to correspond with he vertical adjustments of the lines abutaent 4-2.

I claim:

1. in a flash pistol, the combination of a frame, a powder pan attached thereto and having a priming hole, a recipr eating hammer slidable along the frame toward and from said hole, means to hold primer at the hole in the path oi the hammer, means to project the hammer forcibly against the primer to explode it, and shutter actuating mechanism timed for proper functioning with respect to the firing of the primer, said shutter actuating mechanism comprising an abutment, a tubular actuator, and means to carry the tubular actuator into contact with said abutment for operating the camera.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the shut-t mechanisn includes a carrier for the tubular actuator and means to set it into motion subseeuentlv to the ac tuation of the hammer, the abutment being The connections between them include a dog pivoted on fixed pivot between them, the dog serving to hold momentarily the car-- rier till after the hammer starts on its movement and releasable by the hammer as the hammer approaches the limit of its inde pendent movement.

In testimony whereof I aiiir: my signa- 'ture.

l/VILLIAM OGEL 

